The Chronicles of 10
by MishaChanX
Summary: 10 awakes in a world of war. She doesn't hide from it though. Within her life, she experiences joy, loss, beauty, and love. Rated T for gore, swearing and dolly violence. Set pre, during, and post movie. Beware the epically failed sob stories.
1. Awaken

**Hey everyone! You have already met my 10 if you read TSPAI, but she kept on buggin me to write her story, so here it is world. It has pre-movie, during movie and post movie, all in one! I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Something warm pressed gentle against my back. Something soft stroked my head. Something quiet whispered above me.

I flickered open my optics and took in my surroundings.

A child no more than 9 held me in her hands. She was pale, almost deathly pale, and looked fatigued. She has brilliant green eyes that sparkled when she saw me awake. Her hair was cropped short and was a dark ebony color.

"Grampa!" She smiled. "She's awake! She's awake!" She giggled. It sounded like a chorus of silver bells and I was calmed by it.

"Let me see," said an old voice.

A man with white hair and white lab coat turned in a swivel chair and stared at me.

"Can you speak?" he asked.

I opened my mouth. No sound came out. I strained, screaming nothing. My toes spread as I stood on them and tried as hard as I could. When I was done, I flopped on my butt onto the girl's palm and crossed my arms. She giggled the bells again, and I relaxed.

"Let me see," he held out his hand for me, and I clutched onto the girl's thumb.

"He won't hurt you," she said reassuringly. "He's my grampa, he's the nicest man in the world!"

Hearing that gave me confidence, but I couldn't help still holding onto her thumb until the last second.

'Grampa' put me on the desk and gestured for me to unbutton my chest. I smiled at his politeness. I opened my chest and let him take a cold screwdriver and stick it in my systems. I shudder a bit.

I felt something click and I opened my mouth slightly, but the girl shook her head slightly, as if to say "not yet".

The screwdriver was taken out and I fastened my buttons.

They both looked at me, waiting. I blinked and gasped slightly, realizing that they were waiting for me.

"Um…hi?" I waved my hand a bit. I jumped a bit, happy at my newfound voice. "Hey! I sound like Ariel!! _Shalalalalalala my oh my! Looks like the boy too shy, ain't gonna kiss the girl!_"

Both of them smiled.

"I'm Alice," said the girl, curtseying a bit.

"Nice to meet you," I said.

I looked around the desk and almost screamed at one of first sights.

A doll. My size. Dead.

"Wha-what is that?" I screamed, pointing at it.

It was a sandy burlap color, with two faded yellow buttons on its chest. Its expression was serene, almost as if it was sleeping. Part of me wanted to go closer and touch it, but another part wanted to run to Alice and hide behind her thumb.

"Please calm down," Alice used her index finger to direct me towards a mirror that was randomly on the desk. "It's one of Grampa's dollies. He made you too,"

I caught my reflection in the mirror. I was exactly like the other doll, but alive for one. My skin wasn't sandy, it was more of a pale gray color, like milk mixed with honey. My optics were a pretty silver color, and opened and closed as I blink. My skin was free of blemishes and looked brand new. My feet spread into three gray toes. I spread them slightly, dancing a bit in place. I turned around and looked at my back. It looked like a 01 in the mirror.

"Am I 1?" I asked.

Alice laughed.

"No, silly! You're 10,"

"10," I repeated to myself, memorizing my name.

Alice picked me up, taking me towards the door of the room.

"Come on, I'll show you the rest of the house!"

I stole one last look at the doll on the desk before the door closed.

Alice taught me many things about the human world and what was going on in her room.

"There is a war going on, but Grampa is working on a solution!" She was so optimistic. Outside, I saw a few crumbled buildings, but no large signs of war.

"Why am I here then?"

"You are part of the answer," Alice was now at her bookcase, me on her fluffy pillow. A blue handkerchief was my blanket, Alice's name embroidered in the corner of the cloth. I traced it with my fingers as she searched for a book.

"Here it is!" She laughed as she pulled a book and flopped on the bed, making me bounce a bit.

"Sorry," she said, concern in her eyes. She picked me up gently and placed me back on the 'blanket'. She showed me the title of the book.

_Alice in Wonderland_

I smiled at the picture of the little girl running from many things. The design…was so…wonderful.

She read to me as I sat in the lap of her blue dress.

It was amazing to me. A rabbit hole that went down to the center of the earth? Could I reach wonderland like that? I loved the Cheshire Cat and it's grin. I enjoyed Alice imitations of the Queen of Hearts. It was simple bliss.

When she finished the book, Alice coughed.

I looked up as she put her hand to her mouth, and caught sight of scarlet droplets. Instinctive alarms went off in my head.

"Alice!" I clutched onto her other arm, tugging at the fabric. "Are you okay?"

She stared at the blood for a second, and then wiped it on her skirt. The color was now dull, and I didn't want to look.

"It's nothing," Alice said with a bit of a stutter. Then she went back to her usual optimistic smile. "Do you want to see the rest of the house?"

"Um…sure" I said, trying to smile. I couldn't shake of the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

The feeling didn't go away.

And with good reason.

* * *

A short 4 hours later, Alice fell.

Grampa rushed to his granddaughter and took her to her room, laying her in the bed and tucking her in. He sighed and went back to his attic. I rushed after them on the floor and climbed onto the pillow besides Alice's head.

She slept soundly and I watch her chest rise and fall. I was concerned for her. What was going on? Was the only family that I knew of going to die? No. She couldn't. She just couldn't.

She stirred a bit and looked at me. She smiled and lifted her hand slightly.

"Could I have my kerchief please?" Even when she looked terrible, her voice was the most innocent I'd ever heard. Then again, I hadn't heard many voices in my short 8 hours of living.

I picked it up and handed it to her. She coughed into it, revealing more of the crimson liquid.

"Are you okay?" I asked cautiously.

"No," she said. Plain and simple. "I've been sick since I was born. Mommy and Daddy died when I was a baby, and Grampa took me in,"

She coughed again. More blood. I cringed.

"He made all of you, he's making number 5 right now,"

I gasped and counted on my fingers.

"But, I'm 10, and he's 5, but, why am I 10?"

It seemed like she didn't hear me, and continued without answering my question.

"Grampa wanted me to continue onto the new world, so he asked me to put a bit of my soul into you. I chose the number 10 because," She coughed again and her eyes lost their brilliance. "I always wanted to live to be 10 years old,"

"Alice…" I choked.

"But," her eyes began to get that familiar brilliance again. "I will get to be 10, in you. Will you celebrate my birthday for me? Please?"

I nodded. "When is it?"

"September 9th"

She coughed, but she didn't cover her mouth. She was too weak.

"I'll miss you 10," she smiled. Looking at the ceiling, a small tear coming out the corner of her eye, dyed pink because of the blood. "I'm not scared of dying though. Because," she coughed more.

"Grampa! Sir!" I yelled for the scientist, but he was busy giving life when another was being taken. I couldn't do anything. I could only stand there, trying to comfort the other part of my own soul in a dying body.

"Because," she continued, her eyes getting glassy. "I know…someday, I'll see everyone again. Like now, I'm going to see Mommy and Daddy. I wonder what they'll be like."

"Don't talk," I said, patting her hand which held the bloody cloth.

"You can have my handkerchief," she said, loosening her grip on it for me to take it. "I'll see you soon…10…"

Her chest rose and fell, tears streaming from her reddening eyes. A trickle of blood came from her mouth.

I heard the door open.

As the scientist entered the room, Alice left.

The curtains of her room waved in the breeze, even though I hadn't felt or heard any outside.

Slowly, the scientist walked to the bed and picked up the body of my creator. He cradled her and mourned, crying.

It amazed me how humans could feel so much for one another.

I left the scientist to grieve, walking out of the room, carrying the kerchief over my back. It felt rough with the bloodstains, and it was too heavy for me to carry in this war-filled world.

I found a sewing basket and managed to clip away the bloody spots with scissors. The fabric left to work with was able to make a scarf and hood. I made sure that the embroidery of her name was on the scarf, so she really would always be with me.

I fitted the finished product around my neck and head, pressing it to my face. It still felt warm.

In about 10 seconds, I saw her life.

I saw a younger scientist smiling down at her. I saw her in the corner of a school yard, shunned because of her illness. I saw the scientist making the machine causing the war. I saw myself being born.

I let out a small sob.

How could she stay so happy during all those events? Even in death, she seemed to be smiling.

"Are you okay?"

I turned around, and found myself looking at the doll who only hours before I saw lifeless. Concern and trust shone in his optics, even if he didn't know me.

I wanted to run away. I wanted to yell, cry, do anything but smile and pretend everything was okay. But, holding the scarf close to me, Alice pushed me to stay optimistic. Things would get better. Don't shut people out.

I took a deep breath and let the cloth hang down my back.

"My creator died," I said. I wasn't ready to smile. Not yet.

"I'm sorry,"

I looked at him. Something genuine was in his eyes.

"I have to get going," I turned around, facing the hall that led to the door.

"Good-bye 10," said the scientist, who I failed to notice.

There was a silence.

"Sir?" said 5. "May I go with her?"

A look of surprise came over the scientist's face.

"I trust her," he added.

The scientist smiled warmly.

"Of course," he picked both of us up and took us to the door. He set us down on the front steps.

"Thank you," I said. "Alice would be proud of you,"

A small tear formed in the corner of his eye. Had I said it too soon?

"Please take good care of her," he said, and left us in the world.

Was that meant for me to take care of Alice's soul, or for 5 to protect me? The answer to that question I would never know.

I kept staring at the closed as 5 walked down the steps. More like jumped.

"Are you coming?" he asked.

I shuttered my optics, waking from a dream.

"Y-yeah,"

I tried not to look back as we walked away from our birthplace.

_Good luck!_

I stopped dead in my tracks as Alice's voice appeared in my head. She laughed the bells, and they slowly faded away. But she wasn't gone. She never would be.

"Are you okay?" 5 asked again. He was so caring.

I smiled and lightly touched his top button, then running as fast as I could.

"Tag! You're it!!"

5 ran after me with a grin on his face. I laughed. My new life began with that laugh. A laugh of small, silver bells.

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**I hope you enjoyed this! I hope it forced a few tears out too! I love watching tear jerkers, but I love attempting to write them even more! Stay tuned!**

**Reviews please!**


	2. Found

**A/N:** I decided to experiment with 3rd POV, since 10's life is now more danger ridden, it just seemed to scream 3 POV to me. Tell me what you think.

I disclaim, except for 10.

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10 and 5 wandered aimlessly through the war ridden town. Piles of stone had already filled up most of the once busy streets, and the only sound was the wind.

They had been wandering for what was almost a week now, waiting for someone—or something—to find them.

"Should we stop now?" 10 asked, looking at the piles of junk.

"Yeah," 5 said, looking for a shelter. "I think we should find someplace—"

He stopped his sentence short when he realized that 10 wasn't listening. Instead she was looking trough a pile of dolls that had been dumped out from a toy chest. She pulled up a brown material. A shoelace. She smiled and found a small clasp and pair of scissors. She also found a spool of thread and a small needle.

5 watched her work. Her hands moved like they knew exactly where they were supposed to go and what to do to make a sturdy belt. She smiled at her finished work.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"How did you know how to make that?" he said, bewildered.

"I'm not sure," she fastened it on her waist and stuck the needle through, making it like a sword. "I just…did,"

She moved her hips a bit to see if the belt was secure enough.

"Like I was saying; we should find a shelter,"

"Okay," 10 said.

She followed behind 5, looking for a place to sleep. A can, a box, or maybe even an abandoned doll house would work fine. The sun was beginning to set and an eerie silence blanketed the streets.

"How about here?"

10 looked to see what 5 had found. It was a small tin box turned over, but leaning on a rock so it made a fort looking shelter. She smiled. It wasn't the scientist's home, but it was good enough.

A wave of sadness swept over her as she remembered Alice. She took her scarf and wrapped it another time around her neck, covering her mouth. She dashed to the box, ducking inside and sat in the corner, pressing the scarf to her face.

_Useless_

The word kept pestering her over and over. She hadn't been able to do anything. Only watch and hope to complete Alice's last wish. But how could she? She didn't even know what day it was!

10 began to sob quietly in the dark corner.

"10?" 5 ducked under the rim on the box, optics adjusting to the light. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know!" she said, a mix of a whisper and a wail. "Why is life so cruel?"

5 sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry I can't answer that," he said, touching her shoulder slightly.

They sat in silence for a while. 5 watch the light outside slowly fade from orange to blue to purple. 10 kept her optics closed, not wanting to see the world.

"Try to get some sleep, okay?" 5 said finally after what seemed like eternity. "Things will be better in the morning."

10 peeked out from an opening in the folds of cloth to see 5 curled up against the ground, breathing soundly. She set her hand on the ground and shivered slightly at the cold. She shivered more when she thought of what 5 was feeling.

On tip-toe, she crept out of the box to find something warm for him. It was dark in all the rubble, but she could still pick out cloth from other objects.

She found a strip of navy green cloth and felt it in her palms. It reminded her of war, suffering, loss. She dropped it and recoiled. It was too much for her to bear.

10 shoot it off and quickly grabbed a plaid fabric and ran back to the tin.

Ducking under, she sat back in her corner and breathed. Once she got herself back in order, she tucked the fabric around 5, who welcomed it while still asleep.

10 smiled at the sleeping 5.

_Keep smiling, things will get better_. She repeated that to herself over and over again until her mind's voice sounded like a broken record.

It was to this broken record that she fell asleep to.

"10! 10!" 5 nudged 10 frantically.

"Huh? Wha?" 10 yawned, stretch, but then hit her head on the roof of the box due to an explosion outside.

"No time! We have to run!"

10 was still part asleep but was forced to follow 5 when he grabbed her hand and made a mad dash out the box.

A large explosion sent pieces of rubble flying and 5 whipped into a nearby alley. 10 slumped against the wall and began to fall asleep again.

"10!" 5 shook her shoulders and her head bobbed a bit. "You need to wake up! We're being attacked!"

"I know," she rubbed the sides of her optics and yawned. "I'm awake, I'm awake,"

5 looked out to the street again, frustrated at 10's lack of seriousness. A woman screamed and ran down the street, carrying an infant in her arms, only to be shot dead by the walkers that attacked 10 and 5. The wails of the infant over his dead mother fully woke 10 up. She placed a hand on her head to make sure that her hood was still there.

"Is anyone in here?" a voice called. It was clearly female. Small, quick flashes of light lit up the shadowy alley.

"We're over here," 10 said back. "And I don't know how to answer those questions!"

"Huh?" 5 said, clearly confused. "I didn't hear any other questions,"

"You understand the twins?"

A bleached doll approached them with two hooded figures to either side of her. The white doll had a small knitting needle in her hands and in a cautious fighting stance. The hooded dolls' eyes flickered curiously as they walked over to exam the sitting 10. They cataloged her scarf, taking in the detail of the embroidered name. She laughed and patted one of their heads.

"4?" she looked at the inked number of the doll's chest.

4 smiled and cataloged 10's hand.

"Then are you 3?"

The doll who held her scarf looked up and blinked.

"Huh?" 10 looked puzzled. "My creator."

4 looked into 10's eyes and flickered a message.

"ow," 10 covered her optics and laughed. "Yes, I think she was the little girl who could understand you,"

"What little girl?" the bleached stitchpunk asked, loosening up as if the twin's sign of trust allowed her to trust.

"She died," 5 said, as delicately as he could in front of 10.

"I'm sorry," she said in a very vanilla sweet voice which matched her skin. "I'm 7,"

"Then she died before you were born," 10 said, now examining the material that the twins were made of. "Could she understand you?"

The twins nodded simultaneously.

_That must be why I can too._ 10 smiled.

"Are you looking for someplace to stay?" 7 asked.

"Yes," 5 said, not taking his gaze off of 7.

"Since our old home is probably a silver plate by now," 10 added while standing up.

As if to prove her point, another wave of explosions sounded by the machines. The twins wasted no time and 3 latched onto 7 for dear life while 4 covered her face with 10's scarf train, lights flickered through which 10 roughly translated to 'if I can't see them, they can't see me'.

"Come with me," 7 said, waving her arm towards the other end of the alley. She turned and began to walk further into the alley. 5 and 10 followed.

The twins stayed close to 10 and 7, flickering their eyes nervously. 5 also stayed close to 7, trying to strike up a conversation. 4 kept on flickering questions to 10, but she wasn't looking. All she could really see was 5 and 7. Something was burning inside her gears, something green.

"They're just over here," said 7, pointing her blade to an open street. "We should find the others before—"

_BOOM!!_

Explosions scattered the once calm street as planes and walkers attacked.

"COME ON!" 7 yelled over the sounds, running towards an army helmet.

_What's doing under a helmet going to do us any good?_ 10 thought as she ran behind the twins.

7 knocked on the side of the dome and it lifted up.

"I found others," she said.

The twins ran under the shell and were followed by 5 and 10.

10 was amazed to see how the population of her kind had grown in only a week. She saw first a very old looking doll with a large hat on his head.

_Who made him the pope?_

She saw another old-looking one with a brown vest, and a large white one that was holding up the helmet. Someone that really caught her design-inclined optics was the pin-striped doll with the crazy yarn hair, mismatched optics and pen-nib fingers that clicked nervously.

_Interesting…_

"Come on," the 'pope doll' said. "We have to get to the sanctuary"

The large white doll lifted the helmet and started walking with ease. 10 stayed close to the twins, while studying the pin-striped one.

Another bomb went off and the helmet jumped a bit. 5 tripped over a rock and was left there.

10 looked around for him.

"Where's 5?!" she began to panic.

She looked back and witnessed a human get shot by the walkers, then they sent bombs out. 5 was blown away by the explosions. All she could do was just stand there.

The vested one ran after 5 and 10 caught a glimpse of the ink '2' on his back.

2 lifted up 5 and saw the damage. 10 could see it too and put her hands over her mouth. She tried to run towards them, but the twins caught her. They flickered 'stay here! It's too dangerous!'

10 screamed as the walker drew dangerously close to 2 and 5.

_Useless_

She couldn't do anything.

She couldn't even turn her head away from the sight.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion after the foot collided with the ground. After the dust cleared, she could see 7 and 2 holding up 5. 7 had lost her knitting needle when she jumped to push 2 and 5 out of the walker's path. His head faced the ground, and she could hear his soft whimpers of pain. Even if she was relieved to see them alive, the slow motion would not stop.

10's feet dragged slowly beside the twins, both of them holding her scarf. She played with her pink button, wishing that this all would go away.

"Where are we going?" She managed to gasp out in the middle of her slight panic attack.

"To the sanctuary, an old cathedral" said the pope. "We'll be safe there until the humans sleep,"

10 knew all to well what he meant, except for the cathedral part. Her soul was part of a child, after all, so not every word was registered in the dictionary of her mind.

10 walked a bit faster to the front of the helmet and bent over to look out of bit. She could see the gates of the cathedral and the building.

A majestic work of genius architecture, the castle-like place of worship's highest point was a clock tower, while the main wing's roof was damaged by a crash airplane, but other wise was in good condition.

She ran out from under the helmet and to the large double doors, trying to find a place where 5 could be repaired.

7 quickly followed, having 3 and 4 helping support 5 now.

10 looked around the inside of the cathedral. She saw a bundle of abandoned cloth in a corner and smiled. She ran and picked up a couple of small handkerchiefs, 7 following her example.

They lay the cloth against a leaning bible for 5.

2 and the twins gingerly lay 5 on the 'bed', who was now whimpering louder, his good optic closed in pain.

"We're going to have to removed those circuits…" 2 sighed.

5 gasped and started to bite his burlap lip.

8 was pushing the double doors closed without much trouble.

"10?" 2 looked at her. "Can you please help to restrain him?"

She nodded, wrapping the scarf another time around her neck. She knelt next to 5.

"t-t-10?" he whimpered, eye opening a bit to see her face.

She bit her lip and tried to look brave for him.

"Just keep looking at me, everything will be okay," She held his hand and elbow tightly. Then she whispered. "I promise,"

The operation began.

* * *

**A/N:** Oooh! Cliff hanger! I hope you all liked so far! Sorry it took so long for the second chapter!

I kinda of imagine 10 being voice by Avril Lavigne, mostly because she's my favorite singer. If you don't know who she is, then look up the teenage possum in _Over the Hedge_.

Tell me what you think of the 3rd POV! Maybe I'll have a profile of 10 in the next chapter.


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